Gambhir to lead India in Digicel ODIs

published by admin on

New Delhi, India – Opener Gautam Gambhir will lead India in a one-off Digicel Twenty20 and five Digicel One-Day Internationals against West Indies next month, the Board for Cricket Control of India said on Friday.

"Regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan have been rested. They will be available for the Test series,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.

The trio played vital roles in India’s capture of the ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil in last month. Veteran batsmen Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are also expected to be considered for the Test matches.

The Digicel T20 will be played at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on June 4. The first and second Digicel ODIs will also be in Trinidad, the third and fourth at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and the fifth and final match at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

Dhoni’s absence gives Gambhir another crack at the captaincy, having led India to a 5-0 win over New Zealand in a One-Day series last year. Opener Virender Sehwag also misses the ODI series to undergo shoulder surgery and remains a doubt for the three Digicel Test matches to be played in Jamaica, Barbados and Dominica.